The Pains of Shipping
by cautiousAlbatross
Summary: Nepeta ships a lot of people - including herself.


You love working in a coffee shop. You get to see so many relationships begin, and you smile every time a couple who were no more than friends last week come in again, holding hands. It's a shipper's dream.

Recently, you've been watching these two guys who come in for a coffee every afternoon. One – you think he's called Dirk – is clearly head-over-heels for the other, who you've heard being called Jake. You watch them covertly every time they come in, just waiting for Dirk to say something. You hope he does it here, although you know you'd find out soon enough, anyway. Those two just can't get enough of your coffee. It's not especially excellent coffee, but the atmosphere is perfect. You think that's down to you, but you can't be sure. You like to think you have a lot to do with how this place is run, but in reality, you're just a barista who's too involved in the lives of others.

This particular afternoon, Dirk and Jake are a little late arriving, and you're torn between worrying they won't turn up at all, and hoping this means Dirk has finally made his move. When they do arrive, you make sure you're standing by the till, a friendly smile on your face.

"Hello!" you say, in your most bubbly voice.

"Hey, Nepeta," Dirk says (you've long since gotten used to his strange habit of actually reading your name tags, and remembering the names of the people who serve him), "The usual, please."

"Okay, one black coffee and one latte coming up! That's five sixty."

You smile at him as he gives you the exact change, then puts a couple of dollars in your tip jar.

"Thanks!" you say, turning around to make the coffee.

You take a little longer than strictly necessary making their drinks, giving you a chance to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So what did you want to tell me?" Jake asks, sounding like he's trying to keep his voice down but failing miserably.

"Not now," Dirk says, and you resist the urge to sneak a look at his face, "When we sit down."

"Can't you give me a clue?" says Jake, sounding like a child.

You assume Dirk shakes his head, because the next thing you hear is Jake saying "Please" in a drawn out, whiny voice.

"When we sit down," Dirk repeats, his voice firm.

"But can't you just give me a tiny little clue?"

You silently beg Dirk to give Jake what he's asking for.

"No," Dirk says, and you can imagine the disappointed look on Jake's face.

They don't say anything whilst you finish making their coffees, although you still take your time, just in case.

"Here you are!" you say, turning around with a friendly grin, "Enjoy!"

"We will," says Dirk, with a slight smile, as he takes both drinks and turns away, heading for a corner table.

You won't be able to eavesdrop on them from here, but you have a perfect view of their table. Enough to get a good idea of what's going on, certainly. You occupy yourself with wiping an already clean cup and watch them sit down, Dirk sliding Jake's drink across the table and saying something. Then Jake says something, a pleading expression on his face, and Dirk sighs. You pause as Dirk says something, and Jake looks disappointed, then have to stop watching them in order to serve your next customers. It's another couple – or potential couple – one of whom is a tall dark-haired girl, whilst the other is shorter and blonde. Both look a little shy, especially of each other.

"I'll have a chai tea with milk," says the tall girl, and then, glancing across at the other, adds; "What about you, Rose?"

You smile brightly at her, hoping for a chance to hear the other girl's name.

"Hmm," she says, leaning against the counter and perusing your menu, "I think I'll have a mocha."

"Are you paying together?" you ask, your hand paused over the cash register.

"Yes, we are," says the tall girl, and Rose rolls her eyes.

You grin as you ring it up, and tell them it's four eighty. The tall girl gives you a five dollar bill and puts the change in your tip jar, earning herself another grin.

"They'll be ready in just a moment!" you say, turning to the machine.

"You should have let me pay," Rose says, sounding exasperated.

"But I wanted to pay," the other girl replies, and you can all but hear Rose roll her eyes.

"Kanaya," Rose says, dragging out the 'a' sounds, and you assume this is the other girl's name.

"You paid last time," Kanaya says, sounding defensive.

"I paid for water and a packet of chips, which we shared," Rose corrects her, making you giggle.

"Here are your drinks," you say, turning around before Kanaya can reply.

"Thank you," they both say, within a split-second of each other, and take their drinks, smiling.

You watch them go over to a table near Dirk and Jake, and think you'll be keeping an eye on them. You can't watch them for long, though, as you're soon interrupted by one of your regulars.

"Oh, hey, Karkat!" you say, grinning broadly and brushing your hair out of your eyes.

"Hey, Nepeta," he says, sounding glum.

"What would you like today, then?" you ask, as cheerfully as you can.

"Coffee. Extra strong. Milk."

"One eighty, please!" you tell him, ringing it up.

He silently hands you two dollar bills, then pockets the change.

"Bad day?" you ask, turning to make his coffee.

"Tell me about it," he says, looking down at his feet.

"What happened?"

"I got dumped. Well, sort of. We weren't exactly... But now she's going out with another guy, so we're definitely not..."

"Aw, that sucks," you say, trying to sound sympathetic instead of hopeful.

"Yeah," he says, sighing.

"Well, look on the bright side!" you tell him, handing him his coffee.

"What bright side?" he asks, pouting.

"I'm sure you'll find one," you say, grinning.

You think about winking, but decide against it. He's not looking at you, anyway. Your best friend thinks you should just give up on him, but you're never one to abandon a sinking ship. Besides, there's always hope. You watch Karkat covertly for a couple of minutes, resting your elbows on the counter and your chin in your hands, switching between him and your two hopefully-soon-to-be-couples. You smile when Rose rests her hand lightly on top of Kanaya's, and think they're well on their way to being together – that is, if they aren't already. It's hard to tell, really. You're interrupted from your musings by another couple. These two have been together for a while, and you like to think you have something to do with that. The fact that they're perfect for each other might play a bigger part.

"Hey, Sollux, hi, Aradia," you say, straightening up, "What can I do for you today?"

"Sweet milky tea, please," says Aradia, with a broad grin.

"Black coffee," says Sollux, sounding grouchy.

"Okay, that's three ninety, please."

Sollux grumbles as he digs out a five dollar bill, but puts the change in your tip jar. You think the main reason for that is Aradia. You smile at them both anyway, and turn to make their drinks.

"So are you having a good day?" you ask, as you expertly work the coffee machine.

"It's all right," says Sollux, with a slight lisp.

"It's really good!" corrects Aradia, grinning.

"Oh, what's so good about it?"

"We went to an archaeological dig! It was really fascinating."

"That's really cool," you say, finishing the coffee, although you don't really think so – you've never found archaeology that interesting.

"It was quite interesting, I guess," Sollux says, shrugging, "Not exactly my thing."

"Okay, here are your drinks," you say, turning and handing them to them.

They both smile and thank you, then go to sit down. You go back to couple-watching (and keeping an eye on Karkat). Rose and Kanaya are both leaning slightly towards each other, engrossed in conversation, their drinks forgotten. Dirk is talking, a serious expression on his face, and Jake looks slightly shocked. You wonder whether he's telling him what you think he is. You hope so. Karkat is grumpily sipping his coffee, staring at the table. You sigh as you watch him. Equius is probably right – you don't have a chance. As you switch back to watching Dirk and Jake, you see Jake stand up, shaking his head. He walks past the counter to the restrooms, and Dirk buries his face in his hands. You really hope Dirk hasn't messed this up.

Glancing back to Kanaya and Rose, you see it's going well for them. They're holding hands and staring into each other's eyes, and they look like they're about to kiss at any moment. Sure enough, they soon do, and you mentally chalk that one down as another successful ship, although you can't take any credit for it. You're interrupted from your little victory by Karkat, who returns to the counter carrying his empty cup.

"Uh, could I have another coffee?" he asks, slightly hesitantly.

"Sure!" you say, grinning and taking the cup.

He silently hands you another two dollar bills, and this time, he puts the change in your tip jar. You give him an extra smile for that, as you hand him his coffee.

"Found a silver lining yet?" you ask, leaning on the counter.

"Maybe," he says, with a slight smile, and he sits down at the counter to drink his coffee.

"Keeping me company?" you say, with a giggle, and he blushes.

"Maybe."

He sips his coffee, staring down at the counter-top, and you glance back over at Dirk. He looks up to watch the restroom door swing open, a hopeful expression on his face, which vanishes when he sees it isn't Jake. You can't help but feel sorry for him.

"So," says Karkat, nervously clearing his throat, "What if, maybe, uh, I needed a little help... to see the silver lining?"

"Then maybe you should ask for some," you suggest, with a coy little smile.

"Yeah," he says, nodding and staring back down at the counter.

He falls silent again, and Jake finally emerges from the restroom, looking remarkably calm. Dirk looks up at him, then back down at the table, his ears turning red. You watch Jake weave his way back over to their table in silence, then sit down opposite Dirk, who refuses to look at him. Jake says something, and Dirk looks up, his eyes widening. He asks a question, and Jake nods, making Dirk smile. Jake stands up again, holding out his hand, which Dirk takes, standing up as well. You grin as they walk out, hand-in-hand, and think that went a lot better than expected. Maybe there's hope for you, too.

"So, uh, this silver lining," Karkat says, and you turn back to look at him.

"Yes?" you say, trying not to get your hopes up too much.

"I think I know what it is," he continues, still staring at the counter.

"Really?"

You try not to let your excitement show in your voice, but it's hard.

"Yeah. Maybe I've known for a while, but haven't... really thought about it."

You feel your cheeks turning red, and think maybe you weren't as subtle as you thought you were.

"And...?" you ask, hoping this is going where you want it to go.

He doesn't reply, taking another sip of his drink and then slowly swirling the cup, staring at the sloshing liquid. You glance over at Rose and Kanaya, who are talking again, both looking slightly flushed. You wish you could have it so easy.

"And maybe I'm still not really sure what I think," Karkat says, still not looking at you.

"Well... maybe you should think about it a little more," you say, trying not to let your hopes die out so quickly.

He shrugs, then sips his coffee again. You look around the room, seeing Aradia giggle at something Sollux said, and Rose talking earnestly at Kanaya. You feel a rush of jealousy. Why can't you have that?

"I think..." says Karkat, finally looking at you, "I'd like to... test it. The silver lining."

"How?" you ask, wrinkling your nose and feeling confused.

"Um, well, maybe," he says, turning red, "By asking you if you'd like to go on a date?"

"I'd love to!" you say, blushing and smiling so widely you think your face might break.

"Tonight, then?"

"All right."

He smiles, gulping down the last of his coffee, and stands up.

"What time do you get off?"

"Six thirty," you say, trying not to seem too over-excited.

"I'll meet you here, then? At six thirty?"

"Okay!"

You keep on grinning as he walks out, giving you a little wave from the doorway, and don't stop for at least an hour. Without a doubt, this is your favourite ship. You just hope it keeps going well from here.


End file.
